Magazine spring-gun



(ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1;,

S. D. ENGLE.

MAGAZINE SPRING GUN. No. 320,643. Pat-ented June 23, 1885.

ATTORNEYS.

u. PETERS, FbotoLllMlnpher, Wuhinglon. n

(ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S. D. ENGLE.

MAGAZINE SPRING GUN.

No. 320, 43. Patented June 23, 1885.

INVENTOR J2.

WITNESSES fic/ar'aza Z K ATTORNEYS.

N. PUERS Photo-Lithography, Wnhinpnn. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN D. ENGLE, OF HAZLETON, PENNSYLVANIA.

MAGAZINE SPRING-GUN.

PEClTFf-ICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 320,643, dated June 23, 1885.

Application filed January 30,1885. (ModeL) T0 (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN D. ENGLE, of Hazleton, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Magazine Spring-Gun, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention consists in the construction and arrangements of parts as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 represents a top view of a magazine spring-gun embodying my invention, with the parts in position after the gun has been fired. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same on the line 00 a: in Fig. l, with the parts in position ready for firing, and Fig. 3 a transverse vertical section on the line yyin Fig. 2. Figs. 4 5, 6, and 7 are views upon a larger scale, Fig. 4 being aview in perspective of one of the propelling-springs of the gun, showing alsothe manner in which it is carried or attached; Fig. 5, a partly sectional horizontal view of the gun in part on the line to w in Fig. 7, showing the projectile as about to be started in the discharge from the gun; Fig. 6, a further horizontal section in part, showing the position of a certain spring-stop used in the gun after the projectile has been discharged, and Fig. 7 a vertical section on the line 2 z in Fig. 5.

A is the barrel of the gun; B, a magazine for shot or projectiles beneath the rear end portion of the barrel, and B the stock of the gun. O is a crossbar secured to the under side of the barrel in front of the magazine, and serving to carry the springs by which, through other instrumentalities, the projectile is discharged. The magazine B, to contain the balls or projectiles, may be a simple longitudinally bored or grooved extension of the stock 13, and the whole may be made of wood. Said magazine is charged with small balls or shot I), through a hole, 0, at its forward end when said hole is exposed for the purpose by suitably operating a pivoted slide, d. The rear end of the magazine, at the breech of the gun, connects with the barrel by a branch aperature, e, to allow the balls to roll or pass into the bore of the barrel on suitably elevating the muzzle of the gun for the purpose, only one ball passing into the bore at a time. This, however, is not done until the follower or driver of the ball is in a certain position, as hereinafter described.

The barrel A of the gun is constructed of two longitudinal pieces having grooves of approximately half-round shape in transverse section along them, which longitudnal pieces are glued or secured together on their grooved sides, and have the grain of said parts turned toward each other, as seen in Figs. 8 and 7, to prevent the barrel from warping. A narrow longitudinal slot, f, in open communication with said grooves is made in the barrel along its top for an arm or plate portion of a follower or driver, D,to move through and within or along it.

Sight-pieces g and h are erected on the forward and rear ends of the barrel.

The follower D is capable of being drawn sufficiently back, say up to the rear sight, h, to cause it to uncover the branch aperture 0, and has a notch, t, on its under side, which engages when it closes or partly closes the branch aperaturc c with a spring-actuated trigger, E. This follower has a cord, G, passed through its portion which protrudes above the barrel, the ends of which cord are secured-to spring-arms H H, constructed to form coilsprings It at their inner ends, which are attached to the outer ends of the crossbar G.

. I is a spring-stop on the side of the barrel, constructed at its free end with a crooked portion or projection, s, which passes in through a slot, n, in the side of the barrel, the crooked portion being immediately in advance of the orifice c and its extreme free end when the spring-stop is uncontrolled by the follower throwing its muzzle end upward, which will cause a ball to pass from the magazine through the orifice 6 into the barrel in front of the follower. This having been observed through the slot f in the barrel, the follower D is then allowed to move slightly forward till it engages with the trigger E and moves .the ball up against the crook on the spring-holder I, which will keep the ball from rolling out of the barrel as the muzzleislowered prior to discharging the gun. When the parts are in this position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, then the follower D closes or partly closes the orifice 6, so as to prevent the ball in the barrel from passing back down into the magazine. The trigger E is then pulled, and the ball discharged from the barrel by the spring-arms H and their connecting-cord G forcibly drawing forward the follower till it assumes the position shown in Fig. 1. In thus discharging the gun the spring-stop I is forced fully out by the ball and follower as they pass it, but after the follower has passed then the spring-stop I assumes its normal position across the orifice e, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, thus preventing the rest of the balls in the magazine from rolling out into the barrel by the handling of the gun until another ball is required to be discharged, which is accomplished by again drawing fully back the follower and proceeding as before.

As the slit or slot f in the barrel is only a narrow one, the gun may, if desired, have its upper side turned downward when discharging it.

The long range of action of the propelling springs, and their construction, as described, will give an extended and powerful throw of the ball, said springs, to0,which act in unison, giving an accelerated motion to the cord passing freely through the follower and causing it to move faster as it straightens out.

Having thus fully described myinvention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A spring-gun consisting, essentially, in the grooved barrel A, having a slot,f, in its upper side, the notched follower D, provided with a vertical arm projecting up through the slot and having an aperture, the crossbar O, the spring H, the cord G, passing through the aperture in the vertical arm of the slide and secured at its ends to the springs, and the trigger E, constructed to engage the notched follower, substantially as set forth.

2. In a spring-gun, the barrel A, the magazine B, the passage leading from the magazine to the bore of the gun-barrel, the spring I, having a bend, s, crossing the bore in advance of the passage 6, and a straight portion extending from the bent portion S across the top of passage 6, the trigger E, the notched to close or partially close said passage when engaged by the trigger, substantially as set forth.

3. In a spring-gun, the barrel A, the magazine B, the vertical passage e, communicating with the bore thereof, the notched follower D, and the trigger E,in rear of the passage 6, said follower when drawn back being constructed to uncover the passage 6 and to close it when in engagement with the trigger, whereby when the barrel is raised and the follower pulled back a ball may roll into the bore in front of the follower, and said passage be closed by the forward movement of the follower to engage the trigger, substantially as set forth.

4. In a spring-gun, the barrel A, the follower D, means for operating the same, the trigger E, the magazine B, having a passage, e, at its rear end communicating with the bore of the barrel, and an opening, 0, at its forward end, and the pivoted latch d, constructed to open and close said opening, substantially as set forth.

STEPHEN D. ENGLE.

Witnesses:

A. S. MeNRoE, EDWARD TURNBAOH. 

